How smartphone buyers in smaller cities choose their next phone

What is shaping electronics

Consumer electronics and appliance buyers research online, compare prices across channels and judge brands on after-sales service as much as on features.

• Purchase journeys blend online research and in-store demos
• E-commerce and modern retail compete on price and delivery
• After-sales service drives repeat purchase

A smartphone brand, working in 20 tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.

Organisation

A smartphone brand

Sector

Electronics

Team engaged

Market Research

Services

Consumer panel, Quantitative research, Offline data collection (CAPI)

The brand was growing in metros but losing share in smaller cities, where offline mobile shops still dominated sales. Marketing teams were unsure whether the problem lay in product, price, retailer support or brand awareness.

• Answer the core question: how smartphone buyers in smaller cities choose their next phone.
• Understand the views, needs and behaviour of recent buyers.
• Understand the views, needs and behaviour of mobile retailers.
• Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
• Give the client evidence it can act on within 8 weeks.

The work focused on 3,000 recent buyers and 300 mobile retailers.

• recent buyers3,000
• mobile retailers300

Audiences we typically reach in electronics

Appliance and device buyersOwners and usersRetailers and sales staffE-commerce shoppersService technicians

Coverage: 20 tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Market: India.

• India

A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.

1. 1Brief
2. 2Mixed online and face-to-face survey
3. 3Retailer interviews
4. 4Insight

We surveyed recent smartphone buyers, combining our online panel with face-to-face interviews near mobile markets to include buyers less active online. Questions covered research sources, shops visited, retailer advice, financing and the final decision. We also interviewed retailers about margins, demo units and which brands they recommended and why.

Consumer panelQuantitative researchOffline data collection (CAPI)

recent buyers

3,000

mobile retailers

300

• Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
• Respondents were selected across 20 tier-2 and tier-3 cities using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
• Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
• Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.

• Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person on tablets (CAPI), with time and location recorded for every interview.
• The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
• Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.

• Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
• Time and location checks on field interviews
• Supervisor accompaniment in the field
• Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
• Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
• Review of open-ended answers
• Recordings and transcripts for every session
• Re-screening of qualitative recruits
• Logic and range checks on the final data
• Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures

• Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
• Significance testing on the differences that mattered
• Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
• Journey and decision mapping

• Retailer recommendations and easy financing options decided many purchases, and competitors offered stronger in-store support.

In offline-led markets, the shopkeeper’s recommendation can outweigh online reviews and advertising.

• Build on the core insight: in offline-led markets, the shopkeeper’s recommendation can outweigh online reviews and advertising.
• Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: retailer recommendations and easy financing options decided many purchases, and competitors offered stronger in-store support.
• Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.

• The brand increased demo units, introduced simple EMI options through partners and trained retail staff, concentrating on cities where it had lost the most share.

What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.

• Insight report and management presentation
• Cleaned data file and data tables

• Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
• A natural follow-on question: how satisfied are customers with service?